It’s one of our favourite events each year: YVR Stars! The event honours the worker and volunteers who go the extra kilometre to deliver exceptional customer care at YVR. The night is both a thank-you to the more than 500 people who are nominated throughout the year as YVR Stars, and an awards show that acknowledges the top customer care stories of the year.

This year’s award winners included Securiguard and Canadian Border Service Guards employees who teamed up to help a stranded family in distress; a Dexterra customer service employee who aided an injured passenger; another Dexterra employee who helped locate and aid a travelling couple with dementia; and G4S worker who, on his own personal time, showed compassion by going out of his way to help a visitor navigate the Skytrain system.

It’s always inspiring for us to hear these stories and it feels great to be part of honouring these dedicated employees.

Elettra is responsible for event management of the YVR Stars gala, but we couldn’t do it without our amazing event suppliers and partners, SW Audiovisual, Butler Did It Catering, Simon Cooksley Event Design, DJ Jay, Kim Bellavance Photographe, and Earnest Ice Cream.

A huge thank you also to our wonderful clients - the YVR Customer Relations team - it’s both an honour and a privilege to work with you folks on this event each year.

Vancouver-based mobile game developer, Kabam, today announced the next phase of its growth with the long-term lease of 105,000 square feet across seven floors at Vancouver Centre II (VCII). The project, which is being developed by GWL Realty Advisors, has a targeted completion date of 2021. VCII will be the first office tower completed in the current cycle of downtown office development.

Kabam is excited to collocate into one unified, agile work environment. The company thinks the amenities are fantastic, and they know their four-legged team members will be excited to have a special place to enjoy as well. 

“Kabam is exactly the kind of forward-thinking, industry-leading firm we had in mind when we designed VCII,” says Geoff Heu, Vice President, Development – Western Canada, GWL Realty Advisors. “With VCII’s premier location in the downtown tech hub and its direct connection to two transit lines, it’s not surprising the building is already one-third leased before excavation is even complete. With the current exceptionally low office vacancy rate of 3.9 per cent, we are confident that VCII will be fully leased prior to completion.”

Founded in 2006, Kabam has become a global leader in multi-player mobile games with blockbuster releases such as Marvel Contest of Champions,which has had more than 168 million downloads worldwide since 2014. With over 400 employees across its Vancouver, San Francisco and Austin offices, Kabam sees Vancouver as a key part of its long-term expansion plans. 

 As VCII’s lead tenant, Kabam will have access to first-class amenities, including the 29th Floor Skyline Rooftop Deck; a state-of-the-art fitness facility and yoga studio; end-of-trip cycling facilities; and dog-friendly facilities. The project is targeting LEED Platinum certification and is registered with the International WELL Building Institute™. VCII’s Wired Certificationwill ensure it has thedigital infrastructure to addresses the advanced technology needs of today and the capacity to upgrade to meet future needs.

 Kabam’s quest for a new location was driven by its long-term growth plans. After partnering with Colliers International to determine key criteria, it became evident that Kabam’s property search should be driven by the needs of current and future employees. Following a comprehensive review of available properties, Kabam found that VCII checked more boxes than any other offering and met the most important criteria for supporting Kabam’s team and their long-term growth for years to come. 

Today, Elettra helped its client, GWL Realty Advisors, celebrate the completion of a deal for Amazon’s new Metro Vancouver Fulfillment Facility. It was a great event with a great turnout. Thank you to Tsawwassen First Nation for the warm welcome.

The Board of Governors of Emily Carr University of Art + Design today named Dr. Gillian Siddall as the University’s next President and Vice-Chancellor. 

“I am delighted to announce Dr. Gillian Siddall as ECU’s new President and Vice-Chancellor,” said Kim Peacock, Chair, ECU Board of Governors. “As the University begins writing the next chapter of its story, Dr. Siddall has the qualities, experience and track record to harness the best ideas from the ECU community and the leadership experience to put them into action.”

The appointment marks the culmination of a year-long search by ECU’s Presidential Search Committee, guided by the international recruitment firm Caldwell Partners. The 14-member Search Committee comprised representatives from across the University, and included students, faculty, staff, alumni and a member of the Indigenous community at ECU.

“I am thrilled at the prospect of being the President and Vice-Chancellor,” Dr. Siddall said. “I welcome the opportunity to work collaboratively with the people of ECU to help advance the priorities that they’ve already identified around decolonization; trans-disciplinary learning, research, and creative practice; social justice; and innovation. There are a lot of exciting things happening at Emily Carr, and it will be wonderful to be part of that.”

Dr. Siddall holds an Honours BA and MA in English from the University of Guelph and a PhD in English from the University of Western Ontario. She began her career as a sessional lecturer at the University of Guelph, before accepting a tenure-track appointment at Lakehead University in 1998. There she went on to become the founding Director of the teaching and learning centre, and then Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities. Her research area is Canadian literature, and she has published extensively on the subject of musical improvisation, both within and outside a literary context. 

She most recently served as Vice-President Academic and Provost at the Ontario College of Art and Design University (OCAD U) where she led the academic planning process. This experience, along with her personal connection to the arts as a jazz vocalist and choral singer, make her well-suited to understand the specialized nature of art and design education. She is an advocate of Indigenization and decolonization within the university sector, and co-led the Provost’s Taskforce on Indigenous Learning at OCAD U with Professor Bonnie Devine.

Dr. Siddall succeeds Dr. Ron Burnett, who has served as ECU’s President since 1996. Dr. Burnett will be stepping down from the position on July 31, 2018. Dr. Siddall’s term commences September 1, 2018. 

Michael Clifford, VP, Finance + Administration, and Bonne Zabolotney, VP Academic + Provost, have agreed to serve as co-Interim Presidents from August 1 until Dr. Siddall’s arrival.

We are pleased to welcome Nichole Kapalungan to our team at Elettra.

With her passion for arts and culture and an unbridled love for literature and film, Manila-born and Vancouver-reared Nichole is joining our team as an Account Executive.

As a communications professional she believes that access and transparency cultivate meaningful relationships and create valuable engagement. Having developed skill sets in marketing and communications within the retail and arts and culture sector, she is excited to pursue a career in Public Relations and collaborate with Elettra’s diverse clientele.

While pursuing her BA in English Literature and Arts and Culture Studies at Simon Fraser University, she co-created and curated a series of art exhibits called “The Postcard Show” which were focused on creating accessible art on a mobile medium. The series found homes in Vancouver galleries such as Ayden Gallery and Hot Art Wet City.

When she isn’t writing your strategy, you’ll find her trying out the newest microbrew in the city and finding the best nook to read her book. 

We are thrilled to thank our intern from the BCIT Marketing Communications Program, Yazmin Lara Yunes, for her work and contributions to Elettra Communications these past six weeks. Here are a few words from her:

I am really grateful for the authentic PR experience Elettra has enabled me to have during my nine-week practicum. 

Being able to see how two Public Relations veterans run their own agency and all the behind-the-scenes work that gets put into events really helped me have a deeper understanding and appreciation for Public Relations. 

With the help of the Elettra team, I was able to participate in countless projects happening around this very city and catch a glimpse of the discussion and decision-making process PR associates go through in order to come up with a recommendation for their clients. I was also able to further develop my communications skills and learn to come up with solutions quickly and under pressure. 

The variety of clients Elettra works with gave me the opportunity to learn about other industries as well. Working on projects such as the Chefs’ Showcase for the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards, I learned about the dynamic food scene in Vancouver and all the ambrosial menu options for all tastes.

Now nearing the end of my time on the team, I look forward to working on Forestry Proud Day and continue learning about the various jobs that shape PR.

Thank you Elettra for the enriching experience!

Elettra Communications has been thrilled to be involved in the Forestry Friendly Communities initiative for nearly a year now. Through videos and features, we tell the stories of hard working forestry and logging folks – everyone from foresters to pulp mill workers; educators to students; truck drivers to scientists; as well as community leaders, business leaders, and local groups like outdoors clubs.

Our main platforms to date have been the FFC website and Facebook page, but this week something very exciting is happening. We're heading to Port McNeill for the first annual Forestry Proud Day event. It's a concept we've been developing over the past six months along with the FFC committee. The idea is to get people together in person, and stand up together and say: “we’re proud to work in forestry!” 

The event includes a flag raising, fun activities, and a BBQ, and we're looking forward to making it an annual event. 

If you're on the North Island, come to Port McNeill on Wednesday to see what it's all about. If not, take a look at this video and the head over to Facebook to tell us why you're forestry proud.

A celebration of art in public spaces

Over the past two weeks, a group of local and international artists have been creating new murals in Granville Island's Chain & Forge – a new public space located underneath the Granville Street Bridge.

The creation of the murals is part of Art Smash, a new annual event on Granville Island that celebrates visual art in public spaces. The completed murals will be officially unveiled on May 12th during the Art Smash Street Party Celebration that will be held from 1 pm to 9 pm and will feature live mural creation, non-stop music from local DJs, food trucks, BC craft breweries and live dance performances. Hope you can join us!

Want to know more about the artists? Read the Vancouver Sun's story here.

Peter and Joanne Brown gift painting by acclaimed B.C. artist

Emily Carr University of Art + Design (ECU) celebrated today the donation of E.J. Hughes’ iconic painting Coastal Boats Near Sidney, BC at an event attended by various members of university community – including donor Peter Brown and his family.

“The donation of this painting is further evidence of Peter and Joanne Brown’s commitment to the arts in general and to Emily Carr University in particular,” says Dr. Ron Burnett, President and Vice-Chancellor of ECU. “E.J. Hughes was one of the greatest painters this province has ever produced, and we hope that the presence of this painting on campus will inspire future generations of artists.”

This is the Browns’ second major donation to the University. The Peter and Joanne Brown Foundation were significant contributors to ECU’s THE BIG IDEA capital campaign, which helped fund the University’s new Great Northern Way campus. They also generously gave ECU a sculpture by Canadian artist Joe Fafard titled Emily Carr and Friends.

Completed in 1948, the oil-on-canvas painting depicts two steamships that used to ply the coastal waters between Vancouver Island and the mainland. It was originally purchased by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia in 1952. 

Each March, Vancouverites get their climbing legs in gear by participating in Harbour Centre’s Urban Grind. The 26-floor staircase run is the perfect way to get shake off the winter blues and get the heart pumping. This year was no exception as hundreds took up the stair running challenge over four Tuesdays in March.

Elettra loves being part of this annual event. Is it all the smiling faces, the touch of spring weather, or the stunning 360º aerial view of Vancouver from the top of the Vancouver Lookout? All of the above, we say!

Check out our photo gallery.

Vancouver Centre II is a 33-storey, AAA office building set to rise at Seymour and Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver. The GWL Realty Advisors project team has recently completed the demolition of the existing parkade, and work is now heading underground for excavation.

Elettra teamed up with Noravera Video Production to capture demolition highlights and to get an update from the project team. Watch the video here.

The Elettra event planning team is in full gear in the lead up to the Vancouver Magazine Restaurant Awards. This year's event will be held Monday, April 16.

Vancouver Magazine recently release the list of finalists in all categories. Is your favourite restaurant on the list?

On behalf of our client, CMCH-Granville Island, today we released some exciting news for the island:

Angus An, Robert Belcham, Hamid Salimian and Joël Watanabe will team up to open Popina Canteen – a gourmet counter-service restaurant housed in repurposed shipping containers

VANCOUVER, March 14, 2018 – Popina Canteen, a gourmet counter-service restaurant housed in repurposed shipping containers, will be opening this summer on Granville Island. The concept is a collaboration among four of Vancouver’s most renowned chefs – Angus An, Robert Belcham, Hamid Salimian and Joël Watanabe.

“We have been playing with the idea of a collaboration project for years,” says Angus An, co-founder of Popina Canteen. “Popina Canteen is a project that distils our years of fine dining experience into something that is casual and fun. To be able to share and launch this concept on Granville Island, an iconic Vancouver landmark, is a dream come true”.

The addition of this new restaurant is one of a number of initiatives that are being implemented as part of the Granville Island 2040: Bridging Past & Future report recommendations. The key strategies of the report include expanding the Public Market and transforming the area around it into a Market District, as well as improving access to the island, embracing arts and innovation, and enhancing the public realm.

“We are thrilled to welcome Popina Canteen to Granville Island. This innovative concept is the ideal way to move forward with our vision for an expanded Market District on the island,” says Lisa Ono, Manager, Public Affairs & Programming for CMHC-Granville Island. “During our recent Granville Island 2040 public consultation and planning process, there was strong demand from both locals and visitors for more varied and creative food offerings on the island”.

Popina Canteen will be located on the northwest side of the Public Market. The kitchen and takeaway counters will be housed in repurposed shipping containers while newly created outdoor public seating will offer great views of False Creek and the downtown core.

An official opening date will be announced in late spring.